


Busted

by Cuthwyn



Series: Jay/Roy Week 2016 [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Lian is one clued in kid, M/M, Roy needs to put a lock on his door, clueless Jason just enjoying the ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 02:53:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8472682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuthwyn/pseuds/Cuthwyn
Summary: First date nerves are nothing, nothing compared to facing the prospect of staying over at your partner's place for the first time when their kids there.Jason is desperate to not mess up. For once to just act like a calm, rational minded human being.What he didn't plan on was one thing ...Little girls are silent mood killer ninjas in disguise.JayRoyWeek: Day 3: Problems Raising a Child





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm chuffed with howbthis one turned out.  
> I hope you guys enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.

It is widely excepted that the first date was one of the most nerve wracking events in a new relationship.  
Bullshit.

Smoothing a shaky hand through his hair in a final bid to try and tame his unruly curls, Jason wrapped his knuckles against Roy's apartment door and waited. Normally he'd just waltz in but this time? This time it felt right to stick to the social convention he barely understood.  
Tonight was the first time Jason was staying over at Roy's with Lian there. Up until tonight, Jason had only stayed overnight when Lian wasn't there, visiting Ollie or Jade.  
Sure, Roy had introduced him and they'd had some awesome days together, trips to the zoo, afternoons baking brownies.  
Jason liked Lian and more importantly Lian liked Jason. The poor man was always jumped by an overexcited child desperate to tell him about her day and show him the umpteen million pictures she'd drawn since he'd last seen her.  
Tonight was different though.  
Tonight Jason was more than just Roy's friend coming to visit. Jason was going to be staying over night.

Straightening the plain black shirt he'd taken hours to finally choose, deciding that smart casual was probably the best way to go. He didn't want to look like he thought that this was a big deal and confuse Lian.  
This was a big deal though and anxiety had been weighing heavily on his chest ever since Roy had suggested it last week.  
There was so many ways that this could go horribly wrong.  
What if he had a flashback ?  
Sure, Roy was an old hat with dealing with his crazy ass but what about Lian?  
What if he had a nightmare and she saw?  
The thought of such a sweet little girl seeing something like that turned his stomach.

'Daddy! Daddy! Quick! Daddy you too slow!'  
Huffing out a nervous breath, Jason smiled to himself when Lian's voice and the sound of running little foot steps carried through the door.  
'Is it Jay-Jay, Daddy? Is it Jay-Jay?'  
'I don't know Pumpkin. I can't see through the door can I?'  
'I'm not a pumpkin, Daddy!'  
By the time the door opened Jason's anxiety was soothed by a soft chuckle at the pair's antics.  
Roy looked like he'd tried to dress up a bit, but being a single dad to an over excited four year old got in the way. That or he was trying to set a new trend for wearing dress shirts and sweatpants together.  
The older man blushed furiously before scraping his hair back into a messy bun self consciously.  
'I, um, I lost track of time. Today's been-'  
'Mayhem?'  
Jason finished for him with a knowing smirk. Reaching out he took hold of Roy's hand and squeezed it tightly.  
'It's me, Harper. Y'think I care about what you wear?'  
Snorting, Roy shook his head and offered him a crooked smile, tired eyes teary and overflowing with self hatred.  
'You haven't seen the living room and I ain't even started dinner. I swear it was only lunch five minutes ago!'  
'Good job I'm here then ey?' Jason shot back, leaning forwards to kiss Roy's lips softly.  
'I wanted it to be perfect and I messed up.' Roy practically sobbed against him and Jason pulled back to level him with a hard look.  
'Oy! Enough Harper okay? It's me? We're a team yeah?'  
Roy smiled the first genuine smile since he'd answered the door and nodded.

'Jay-Jay! Jay-Jay!'  
The thunder of tiny footsteps grew, and Lian appeared in the doorway.  
'Heya kiddo!' Jason greeted with a huge smile, opening his arms he bent down for her to cannonball straight into him with elated whoops. 'I missed you to. Come on, let's go inside before we let all of Daddy's heat out.'  
Squealing, when Jason hoisted her onto his hip, Lian giggled and shook her head.  
'Silly Jay-Jay! Heat don't go out!'  
'That's because you don't pay the utility bill, Pumpkin.' Roy pointed out with a quirked eyebrow, but his daughter merely stuck her tongue out at him and wiggled down.  
'I gonna go gets my pictures for you Jay-Jay!'

Nodding, Jason smiled and followed Roy into the living room. Roy made to go tidy but Jason caught his hand, tugging him closer.  
'Go finish getting ready, Harper.'  
He offered only for Roy to shake his head and run a hand down his face.  
'Nah, nah it's okay. Was stupid anyway. I'll just tidy up real quick and then start dinner and-'  
'And I'll tidy up and start dinner.' Jason interrupted, leaning even closer so his lips brushed against Roy's ear. 'I want you to go and finish getting ready and I mean properly. When you leave that bedroom I want to have to stop myself from pushing you back into it!'  
Swallowing thickly, Roy nodded before pulling away, noticeably readjusting and Jason just smirked in victory.

Lian showed up just after Jason had taken his boots and jacket off with a whole wad of pictures she had drawn. Jason dutifully looked at them all before halting at the last one and just staring at it.  
'That's me and you and Daddy.' Lian pointed out, just in case that needed clarifying.  
'We're all smiling?' Jason observed pensively, eyes focused on the three podgy figures that had huge red smiles. He'd never associated himself as someone a child would draw smiling.  
'Yeah huh. You makes Daddy smile and that makes me smile. Before you, he was sad. He don't think I know but I knows after I go beds Daddy would sit on the couch and be sad. I don't likes him sad.'  
'Oh.' Jason picked up the picture, a genuine smile of his own stretching across his face and a little bit more anxiety fizzled away. 'Well, I'm glad your Daddy smiles. You two make Jay-Jay happy too.'  
'I know. You's very sad and scared Jay-Jay, that's why I give you lots of hugs. Daddy says it's the bestest medicine.'  
Jason blinked at the little girl smiling up at him in pink dungarees and ponytails.  
He'd always tried to act normal when she was around, and he knew Roy wouldn't dream of telling her about his past. A pang of disappointment and shame settled in his stomach. He really had tried to not let her know.  
'It's okay. I loves you, snorts and all like Daddy does.'  
'Warts, Princess.' Jason replied, smiling warmly at Lian who wrapped her arms around him and looked down at the picture with him. 'Can-can I keep this one?'  
Nodding enthusiastically, Lian snatched the picture out of Jason's grasp and skipped over to stuff it into Jason's jacket pocket from where it hung on the hook.  
'There we go. Now you won't forget in the mornings.'

'Morning?' Jason frowned and shook his head in confusion.  
'Yes? Daddy says you go to bed here tonight, but not in my room. You's gonna sleep in Daddy's bed with Daddy. You shouldn't sleep with Daddy, his feet smell. I has candy from Hallowbean in my room.'  
Lian chatted away as if Jay-Jay sleeping in her house was the most natural thing in the world, and the mention of Roy's smelly feet had Jason smiling along with her.  
'How about me and you tidy up and make dinner and then maybe we can sneak some candy while Daddy runs your bath?'  
Lian's face screwed up as she thought about the proposal before sighing and skipping off towards her up ended toy box.  
'Okays. I s'pose. I did makes a mess. Daddy all sad today. I tells him it's only Jay-Jay but he wouldn't listen. Silly billy Daddy is.'  
'Silly billy indeed Lian. I think we should give him lots of hugs when he comes back.' Jason suggested, as he piled up the laundry and disappeared into the kitchen to throw it in the washer, before collecting up the dirty cups and plates dotted around the place.  
How one man and a little girl could create such chaos was beyond him.

Roy appeared dressed in a shirt and jeans, freshly shaved and his hair combed into a neater ponytail. He blinked in wonder at the tidy living room, Lian sat watching cartoons on the TV with her hair re-brushed and the general muck from the day wiped off her face.  
'Jay?' He called out warily, looking up towards the kitchen when the man in question appeared grinning from ear to ear.  
'Whit woo look at you!' Jason teased, his walk over to him could have been called sultry, if it wasn't for the novelty Snowman apron around his waist, that Lian had bought Roy last Christmas.  
'Feeling better?' He muttered against Roy's ear before kissing his lips softly.  
Nodding Roy smiled before looking away dejectedly.  
'You didn't have to do this.'  
'No but I wanted to. Now sit your butt down. Dinner is ready. Lian!'  
With that Jason had vanished back into the kitchen.  
'Coming Jay-Jay.'  
'Chicken, Bacon and Spinach spaghetti. Bon appetite!' Jason declared, reappearing balancing three plates, laughing along to Lian's cheering.  
The meal goes well and Jason can't help but laugh and smile along with the light conversation, jumping every once in a while when Roy's hand would squeeze his knee or he'd lean over to peck his cheek.  
Once everyone had finished there was time for a short film, Lian demanding to sit in Jason's lap and then preceding to lean back and rest her feet on her Dad's thighs, completely and utterly blissed out.  
Jason breathed a contented sigh and rested his head back against Roy's arm.  
This wasn't so bad after all that worrying.

Lian went to bed after her bath without issue. One story and a kiss from Roy later she was out for the count. Jason may or may not be slightly jealous of her ability to fall asleep so easily. He couldn't not do the dishes and have another tidy up, but once done he found himself sat on the couch with Roy very obviously wanting to engage in a more intimate pastime than watching films.  
'But Lian!' Jason gasped in horror, eyes flying to the closed pink door but Roy just laughed and mouthed at Jason's collar bone.  
'Lian's asleep, Jaybird. She won't wake until morning, she hasn't woken during the night since she was a year old. Now, shush, stop over thinking this.'  
For once Jason didn't need much persuading. He trusted Roy.  
Roy was Lian's dad if he said it was okay then it was okay. Sure, Jason had experience with street kids but knowing how a positive family unit actually functioned? That, well that was something he struggled understand.  
Kissing Roy back, Jason nodded and allowed himself to relax. He trusted Roy.  
Bad things didn't happen when Roy was around.  
'Wanna show me your bedroom?'  
''I thought you'd never ask.'  
Roy grinned, pulling his partner to his feet and moving towards his room.

It didn't take long for the couple to lose their clothes and for Jason to end up lying back against the pillows with Roy between his thighs. He still struggled a bit with sex but recently, doing this with Roy was kinda fun and left him feeling safe and a good kind of languid.  
Tonight was no different. This felt good and Jason clung onto it with both hands. His toes curled and his legs spread even wider when Roy changed his angle, a particular thrust hitting his prostate just right.  
'Roy!'  
The cry left Jason's lips without permission, the tone portraying far too much emotion than Jason was overly comfortable with expressing, but right now he really couldn't give a damn.  
'Ssh, sssh Jaybird. I got you.' Roy soothed, ducking down to drag Jason's lips up into a feverish kiss that left the younger man gasping, eyes wide and trusting.  
Roy lived for that look.  
The two were too wrapped up in each other to notice the pitter patter of little bare feet against the carpet.  
They didn't hear the creak of the bedroom door.  
'Daddy?'

Gasping, both men froze, looking back at each other in horror. There was no pretending, the blankets were currently pooled around their ankles, revealing absolutely everything.  
'Hey Pumpkin.' Roy spoke up in a very high pitch, before he cleared his voice and looked over his shoulder. 'What're you doing up?'  
Lian was stood by the open door, a picture of innocence in white pyjamas with pink hearts and hanging limply in her little hand was her Nightwing plushy, that was definitely judging right now.  
'I'm thirsty.' Lian replied before frowning and cocking her head. 'What are you and Jay-Jay doing?'  
Roy's mind went blank but thankfully Jason still possessed enough of his wits to throw the blanket back over them.  
'Erm'  
Looking down, he raised an eyebrow at Jason who just, oh so helpfully, raised an eyebrow right back.  
'We- we were cuddling. Yeah! Yeah we were just cuddling, Princess.'  
Jason gave him a look which could only mean 'what the fuck?'  
'Why are you naked nude?'  
'Jay-Jay and Daddy had a bath, and then Daddy was just giving Jay-Jay a hug before bedtime. Like when he puts you to bed, but a grown up hug, that grown ups do.' Jason explained steadily, cheeks reddening more and more as time went on.  
'Huggling is love.' Lian replied with a very serious nod.

'Come on Pumpkin lets go get that drink hmm?' Roy declared cheerily, deciding that distraction was the best policy. It almost worked until he tried to pull slyly out of Jason. Jason tried, he really did try not to make a sound, but a small gasp left his lips before either of them could do anything about it.  
Lian pursed her lips and looked up at Roy questioningly.  
'Daddy I think you huggle too much. You hurting Jay-Jay. He won't wanna come sleep over if you hurts him.'  
Sitting up, Jason squeezed Roy's shoulder in reassurance. The poor guy looked like he wanted the bed to open up and swallow him whole.  
'No, no Lian. Daddy wasn't hurting me, I promise.' With a small smile, Jason lent over and kissed Roy's cheek, watching them redden even further. 'Daddy makes me feel safe enough to feel good.'  
'Daddy makes me feel safe too!'  
Smiling down at Lian, whose eyes had brightened now she thought she understood what was happening, Jason slowly eased himself out of bed and tugged on a pair of boxers.  
'Come on, Princess. Drink and then bedtime.'  
Taking hold of the little hand not clutching a toy version of his brother, Jason lead the little girl slowly out of Roy's bedroom.

'You has lots of scars. More than Daddy.' Lian spoke softly, heels kicking gently against the cupboards from where Jason had lifted her onto the counter. 'Is that why you're sad and scared all the time? Jay-Jay?'  
Jason froze.  
Taking a deep calming breath, he forced a smile and turned around to give the inquisitive four year old a glass of warm milk.  
'Yes, Lian, in a way.'  
He honestly couldn't see the point in lying to her. Lian seemed to accept the explanation and sipped her milk quietly, eyes trailing up and down his body.  
'Daddy only lets me drink water after bedtime.'  
Oh fuck.  
Fuck, fuck, fuck.  
Despite the f-bomb doing the rounds in his head at a million miles an hour, Jason forced another smile and motioned to the glass.  
'When I was a little boy, Alfred would make me a glass of warm milk when I couldn't sleep and-'  
'Alfred? Like Uncle Dick? Uncle Dick has an Alfred.'

Nodding, Jason picked up the Nightwing plushy and looked at it forlornly, unable to fully hide the emotion from his face.  
'That's because Uncle Dick is my big brother, Lian.'  
'Oh. Uncle Dick told me he has two brothers, not three?'  
The question was so innocent, but the pain that ricocheted through Jason was so sudden anyone else would have hit the floor but he was used to it; the only sign, the slight twitch in the corners of his lips.  
'Yeah. Well, when Jay-Jay was very sad and scared once, he did, bad things. He doesn't really see his family anymore.'  
'That's sad.'  
'It is.' Jason sighed, giving the toy Nightwing one final look, before returning it to Lian with a small smile. 'But I'm getting better. I remembered the warm milk.'  
Lian blinked up at him with a slight frown before going back to sipping her milk again.  
Leaning down, Jason tucked a lock of hair behind Lian's ear with a half smile.  
'So what's the real reason we're up sweetheart? Hmm?'

Lian looked down at her milk for a few moments because glancing up at Jason with wide teary eyes.  
'I was sad and scared, Jay-Jay. I had a scary dream, but I wants to be brave.'  
'Being scared is part of being brave.' Jason replied gently, smiling back when Lian's eyes widened further. 'If we're not sacred? How can we be brave? Being brave is being scared but not letting it win, to fight it. Like going to Daddy when we're scared, so he can make it better.'  
'Like you do Jay-Jay?'  
The question threw Jason a little and he only managed a small nod in response.  
'Come on, lets go tell the bad things to go away and then it's back to bed, kiddo.'  
Nodding Lian, clutched her milk and Nightwing, as Jason lead her gently back to her room.  
'I want you to stay Jay-Jay.' She whispered fearfully and Jason had a feeling that she didn't mean just for the night.  
'I ain't going no where.'  
'Okay. There's a magic spray on my shelf. Daddy uses it to make the monsters go'way.'  
Smiling, Jason opened the door to Lian's room and right there on the shelf was a spray bottle filled with glittery water.  
'How about you help me use it? Then you can scare away the monsters all by yourself?'  
Lian seemed to literally light up and dashed into her room with a new wave of excitement.  
'Oh yes Jay-Jay. Please, please!'

A few minutes and a cigarette later, Jason crept into Roy's room thinking that by now he was probably asleep but instead, he sound him curled up, tears and snot staining his pillow.  
'Harper?'  
'She- she saw us Jay!'  
Nodding, Jason crawled back into bed and pushed himself up against Roy's back, fingers brushing the tears away softly.  
'Yeah. She's okay though. I don't think we gotta worry about mental scaring. How about I fit a lock on the door tomorrow before I leave hmm?'  
'Don't leave.'  
The phrase was laced so heavily in fear and desperation Jason had to fight to stop himself from gripping Roy too hard.  
'I ain't going nowhere. I promise Roy. I know I'm not very good at promises but-'  
'You're a better dad than me. You tidied up and cooked and knew what to say when Lian saw us. She likes you.'  
Frowning, Jason ran a hand soothingly through Roy's hair as he sobbed.  
'I'm not good enough. I can't even keep the living room tidy.'

'Shut up you idiot. Lian loves the hell outta you! Every other word that girl says is 'Daddy.'  
You're an amazing dad, Roy, believe me I've seen enough shitty ones to know. Lian is happy, fed and warm and she has a dad who'd do anything for her. That's all she needs. Who cares about a messy living room? Jesus dude, you can't compare yourself to me waltzing in and tidying it up. I mean, like, I have actual psychiatric papers that state that my level of tidy is insane. I actually enjoy it, I'd quite happily tidy up your place every day if you let me. I ain't normal.'  
Roy chuckled at this and wiped at his tears with a small smile.  
'Meh, on this occasion, I'm more than happy to be your enabler. Tidy away, Jaybird.'  
'Ima gonna hold ya to that!' Jason shot back with a smile of his own, nuzzling into the crook of Roy's neck. 'Just no more of this talk yeah?'  
Nodding, Roy turned and actively participated in the hug, wrapping his arms tightly around Jason and pulling him even closer.  
'Seriously though, how on earth did you know what to say?'  
Jason bristled, shaking his head when the past tried to force its way in. Shame and disgust almost seeping off of him.  
'Lying about that stuff is kinda my forte.'  
'Oh.'  
Roy didn't really know what to say to that. He never really did. So he just held onto him tighter, tucking Jason's head beneath his chin.  
'Roy it's okay. I'm okay.'  
Jason tried to protest but a finger was just placed against his lips.  
'Shh, like Lian said, huggling is love.'


End file.
